1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooling mechanism for a post-mix or pre-mix dispenser which may employ mechanical refrigeration or may be operated with particles of ice for cooling the beverage to be dispensed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many exemplary cooling systems for a post-mix or pre-mix dispenser for soft drinks are available in the prior art. However, these systems are usually designed to cool the beverage by either a mechanical refrigeration system which is designed to be used as the only cooling means for the beverage dispensing system or by means of an ice-cooled system which is designed to be used as the only cooling means for the beverage dispensing system.
It is conventional in an ice-cooled system to position a heat exchanger in contact with a supply of ice. However, this system is not designed to alternatively be used in combination with a mechanical refrigeration system.
Brown, U.S. Pat. No. 3,422,634, discloses a beverage dispenser in which a tank 36 is cooled by means of a mechanical refrigeration system 40. A coil assembly 60 is positioned around the vertical walls of the tank 36 and is designed to contain six product coils for cooling six separate beverage products. The mechanical refrigeration system 40 is positioned on legs 46 which enable the correct positioning of the refrigeration system within the tank 36. Further, the refrigerating unit 40 is designed to be removed from the dispenser assembly for servicing and the legs 46 will function to support the unit in a vertical position on a flat surface with the refrigerating coils protected and supported in a vertical position. This beverage dispenser is designed to work as a unit with the mechanical refrigeration system in place as the only cooling means for the beverage dispensing system. Thus, when the mechanical refrigeration system is removed, the dispenser can not function.
Another prior art beverage dispenser is disclosed by Schroeder, U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,335. Schroeder discloses a dispenser for dispensing cool beverages which includes a tank portion 16 and a cooling unit 15. The cooling unit 15 is designed to be removed from the tank portion 16 by merely loosening the bolts 21. Again, the cooling unit and the tank are designed to work together and it is not contemplated to operate the beverage dispenser disclosed in Schroeder without the cooling unit 15 in place. However, even if ice was positioned in the tank portion 16 the system would not adequately cool the coils to permit the beverage to be satisfactorily dispensed from the dispensing valves.